Ship passengers stranded

 By ELLEN TIAMU

PASSENGERS ticketed to travel on mv Gejamsao yesterday to Finschhafen were stranded because Lutheran Shipping staff stopped work over the non-payment of wages.

The company’s staff in Lae and Madang decided to stop all business, including ships, over the non-payment of their wages at the end of last week.

Passengers wanting to travel to Finschhafen yesterday turned up at the wharf at Voco Point only to find the place closed and notices on the fence saying no shipping service.

Esau Anengo, a passenger from Finschhafen, said many passengers had gone to Lae for a church programme at the Busu compound and were booked to return yesterday but were disappointed to find that they could not. 

“We can’t spend an extra day in Lae as the little money we have had all been spent and for Luship to do this to us without warning is a disservice to us,’ he said.

The mv Gejamsao was scheduled to leave Lae at 10am yesterday,  while the  mv Maneba was to leave for Siassi in the afternoon.

A company worker assured the angry crowd that services would resume today.

Another worker said there was still in-fighting among former and current executives of the company, resulting in wages not being paid on time.

The National understands wages were processed yesterday afternoon.